Pamela C. Flores-Silva

Gluten‐Free Snacks Using Plantain–Chickpea and Maize Blend: Chemical Composition, Starch Digestibility, and Predicted Glycemic Index

An increase in celiac consumers has caused an increasing interest to develop good quality gluten-free food products with high nutritional value. Snack foods are consumed worldwide and have become a normal part of the eating habits of the celiac population making them a target to improve their nutritive value. Extrusion and deep-frying of unripe plantain, chickpea, and maize flours blends produced gluten-free snacks with high dietary fiber contents (13.7-18.2 g/100 g) and low predicted glycemic index (28 to 35). The gluten-free snacks presented lower fat content (12.7 to 13.6 g/100 g) than those reported in similar commercial snacks. The snack with the highest unripe plantain flour showed higher slowly digestible starch (11.6 and 13.4 g/100 g) than its counterpart with the highest chickpea flour level (6 g/100 g). The overall acceptability of the gluten-free snacks was similar to that chili-flavored commercial snack. It was possible to develop gluten-free snacks with high dietary fiber content and low predicted glycemic index with the blend of the 3 flours, and these gluten-free snacks may also be useful as an alternative to reduce excess weight and obesity problems in the general population and celiac community.

Effect of the Nixtamalization Process on the Dietary Fiber Content, Starch Digestibility, and Antioxidant Capacity of Blue Maize Tortilla

Nixtamalization is an ancient process developed by the Mesoamerican cultures. Initially, volcanic ashes were used and then calcium hydroxide in commercial production, and more recently nixtamalization with calcium salts (NCS) has been proposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of NCS on carbohydrate digestibility and antioxidant capacity in the elaboration of blue maize tortillas. NCS in blue tortillas showed a high amount of total dietary fiber (14.27 g/100 g), the main fraction being insoluble dietary fiber. The contents of resistant starch and slowly digestible starch did not change with the nixtamalization process. The predicted glycemic index value was lower in blue tortillas with the NCS process (58) than with the traditional nixtamalization process (71). In general, NCS in blue tortillas presented a higher antioxidant capacity than traditional tortillas (ferric reducing antioxidant power method), indicating that phenolics present in blue maize maintain their activity after cooking. ...

Gluten-free spaghetti with unripe plantain, chickpea and maize: physicochemical, texture and sensory properties

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the physicochemical, textural and sensorial characteristics of gluten-free spaghetti elaborated with unripe plantain, chickpea and maize flours. Luminosity (L*) of the uncooked gluten-free spaghetti was not significantly different from control sample, but in cooked spaghetti, L* value was different. The diameters of raw spaghetti (gluten-free and control) were similar, but lower diameters were determined in cooked gluten-free spaghetti; however, some composites had similar water absorption values. Gluten-free spaghetti had higher hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness than the control but had lower elasticity. The maximum peak viscosity was lower in the gluten-free spaghetti than in the control, and no breakdown viscosity was observed, although high setback viscosity was found. The overall sensorial acceptability was similar in the gluten-free spaghetti among the different formulations, but it was significantly lower than the control. It is possible to prepare gluten-free pasta with textural and overall acceptability.

In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Gluten-Free Spaghetti Based on Maize, Chickpea, and Unripe Plantain Flours

Gluten-free and high indigestible carbohydrate food development is a topic that deserves investigation because of an increased focus on gluten intolerance and celiac disease and on metabolic disorders caused by overweight and obesity. Here, chickpea and maize flours were used as sources of protein and carbohydrate (because of the level used in the mixture) and unripe plantain as an indigestible carbohydrate source in composite gluten-free spaghetti elaboration. The mixture of unripe plantain, chickpea, and maize was used at different levels to prepare spaghetti (samples S15Pla and S25Pla); control pasta was made of 100% semolina (S100Sem), and a 100% unripe plantain flour (S100Pla) pasta was also evaluated. In vitro amylolysis rate of fresh and stored (three and five days) spaghetti was assessed. The spaghetti with 100% unripe plantain (S100Pla) had higher resistant starch (RS) content than the control sample and the two cooked composite gluten-free spaghettis (S15Pla, S25Pla), and RS further increased wi...

Impact of Chickpea- and Raw Plantain-Based Gluten-Free Snacks on Weight Gain, Serum Lipid Profile, and Insulin Resistance of Rats Fed with a High-Fructose Diet

Two gluten-free snacks containing chickpea, plantain, and maize flours at different concentrations were prepared. The impact of chickpea or plantain flour level on weight gain, insulin resistance, and serum lipid profile of rats fed a high-fructose diet was evaluated. A dose of 0.93 g/kg was used in the experiments to simulate the snack consumption level by humans (average content of a small package, which is twice the portion recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Compared with a high-fructose reference diet, consumption of both snacks decreased weight gain, fasting serum glucose, and triglycerides. The effect was more pronounced for snack B, with higher chickpea content. Consumption of these snacks may also have beneficial effects against obesity and cardiometabolic complications. Chickpea flour is a promising functional ingredient for the development of antiobesity foods.